Playing with Fire
by All.You.Really.Need.Is.Love
Summary: SeverusxOC - A professor returns to Hogwarts and turns out to be an old flame of Severus - Can their relationship be rekindled or will they end up being burned? Story formally known as 'Burnt'. R&R. M from chapter 1. :
1. Chapter 1

Hi there!

This is a Severus x OC story, i know there aren't as popular as Severus x Hermione but i dont like to think of little Emma Watson with Alan Rickman so I've changed how she looks in my head, and then i thought - hey, i might as well just write an OC!

So here it is...

(A bit of light smut in this chapter, so don't read if you don't like it.)

* * *

"I am not the type of man to waste time with _niceties_." Professor Snape replied coolly to Minerva McGonagall.

"You could try." The headmistress replied, rolling her eyes at the miserable potions teacher.

"I am always civil – the perfect gentleman," Minerva snorted at this, but he was not offended as it was said with irony "And I find it particularly amusing that you believe you can change me now after so many years."

She spun to face him. "Fine then. Our new old professor – could you at least be civil?"

"Ah yes." Severus nodded as they walked on. The Headmistress was going to greet a new member of staff and had roped Severus along to join her, much to his disgruntlement. It was an old professor apparantly who had decided to rejoin Hogwarts staff. "Your mystery professor returning to their post… Tell me, Headmistress, have you perhaps rehired Umbridge? Or perhaps broken Antonin Dolohov out of Azkaban to teach first years charms?" Here he gave a short laugh. "I think I'd prefer Umbridge of the two – she had a sadistic quality that rather appealed to me."

McGonagall swatted him. "You'll have to wait and see." She smiled smugly and Severus suddenly felt uncomfortable. Who was this previous professor and why did Minerva want him, of all people, to meet them again?

* * *

She stood at the gates to the formidable castle, and the breath hitched in her throat. She was returning to the place she had called home those few years ago that now seemed like decades. So much had changed, so much had happened – she had learnt so much now that she never knew then. She had learnt about him, the truth about him.

She wondered how long it would be until they ran into each other. It was a big place and still a couple of weeks until the students returned, she imagined she could hide easily from him. She was good at blending into crowds, seemingly disappearing when she had to.

She wondered also how he would react when he saw her.

She was about to find out…

* * *

Severus and Minerva descended one last flight of stairs and arrived at the main door to the castle. Severus pulled out a small pocket watch and raised an eyebrow at Minerva. As if on cue, there came a small knock on the heavy door.

The headmistress stepped smartly forward and mouthed 'be courteous' at the scowling Severus before opening the door.

There on the step, with the autumn wind whipping around her head stood Professor Lauren Hanson. Severus could not make a sneering comment, nor eye her with disdain - he merely stood in shock.

She stepped in and held her hand out for Professor McGonagall to shake. The headmistress laughed and pushed it away, opening her arms for a hug.

As she crushed the girl to her she said tearfully. "Oh, silly girl! It's been a while – but we're still all friends here!" As Lauren looked over Minerva's shoulder she was met with the cold, black gaze of Severus. It chilled her to her very core, and made her want to cry…she resisted the urge.

As the older woman released her and dabbed at her watering eyes, Lauren looked at her feet, not wanting to meet that penetrating stare of Snape's again.

Eventually he spoke. "So, the wanderer returns." Those four little words changed the atmosphere in the room so much so that even Minerva noticed.

"Be civilised, Severus." She chided quietly.

Lauren side stepped the headmistress so she was in front of Severus. Her medium length brown hair, usually like spun silk, was now frenzied and knotted. He longed for a moment to reach out and run his fingers through it, until their past came crashing down around him once again. She was around five foot and eight inches, tall for a girl, but still a good six inches shorter than the potions master. He tilted his head down to glare at her fully.

"I've come back." She said softly. He felt an unusual tightening in his chest to hear her speak once again, but ignored it firmly.

"So I see," he said, adding in a dangerous whisper. "The question is why?"

Minerva trotted forward and stood beside the couple, as he stared at her and she looked anywhere but at him.

"Well," the headmistress offered when Lauren didn't answer. "I expect Miss Hanson wished to further her career here, at a most infamous school, now that trouble with the Dark Lord is over." Severus scoffed slightly and Lauren nodded solemnly. "I seem to remember you two worked quiet closely together at one point, perhaps that friendship could be rekindled?"

Lauren blushed furiously, an unusual thing for her to do, and stared down. If only the poor woman knew what had gone on.

Severus glared at Minerva. "Friendship? I don't know what you're talking about. Potions and charms are two subjects that cannot help colliding occasionally – although I doubt that will happen this year." He finished coldly, with a particularly venomous look at Lauren. She stared back, disappointment and sorrow written clearly on her face.

He felt sick and could not stand to be around her any more. He made his excuses and left.

Minerva turned to Lauren and smiled. "He still hasn't changed." Lauren nodded and smiled back, afraid that if she spoke her voice would break. "I'll show you to your rooms."

After a quick tour of the four rooms Lauren would now occupy, she persuaded Minerva to leave. The woman had clearly spending all six week holiday with Snape and was now relishing fresh company, but Lauren needed her time alone.

The room looked warm, decorated with cream walls and red furnishings, but as it was directly above the dungeons so the stone floor was extremely cold. She sighed and transfigured her shoes into warm fluffy slippers.

She settled into her new, foreign bed later that night. The second her eyes closed, she dreamed vividly of their first and last night together. It was a dream full of anxiety and sweetness in equal amounts.

* * *

_Severus kneeled in the middle of the bed, Lauren sat on his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist as they thrust, and arched, and whispered sweet nothings to each other. He ran his hands through her hair. She leant her forehead upon his, her hands linked behind his neck, whispering his name over and over and over again. He gave one more thrust upwards, his hands sliding down her soft undulating back, resting lightly on her full buttocks as she came hard with a gasp of pure bliss. He came moments later, holding her shaking body in his firm embrace. _

_Lauren woke later, to find the space next to her empty, it clearly had not been slept in. He hadn't spent the night here, even though they were in his chambers. Where had he been all night? She feared he had left her for a moment, until she heard his deep, pleasing voice coming from the next room. _

_Standing, she picked up his discarded shirt and threw it on, feeling like a girl from a movie in her boyfriend's clothes. She moved through into his living room, and saw him kneeling with his face in the fire. Her mother was a muggle, and being raised that way it still seemed unusual to see someone with their head in a fire. He seemed to be listening to someone speak so she was silent, watching him with eyes full of love. _

_Then she heard him speak. She heard what he said. She gasped and began to cry silently as he spoke to the person on the other end. _

_His head whipped round at the sound, he saw her. He stood and moved towards her, wearing his black trousers but with a bare chest. Then she saw it. _

* * *

Severus woke with a start, the image of Laurens heartbroken face still etched on his minds eye. He growled and smashed the empty firewhisky bottle he was clutching on the floor.

He shouldn't be feeling sorry for her; she was the one that left! And now, she thought she could walk back in, bat her lashes and they'd return to how they were? Well…she had another thing coming.

Once lost, Severus Snape's good opinion is lost forever.

Lauren woke up with tears on her face. She had reacted badly to it – but how did he expect her to behave? She did what any girl would do in that situation and ran. But she was back now – surely that would count for something? She wanted him so badly, she had thought of him everyday since she'd left. But she had hurt him. She knew that much.

Severus Snape wasn't one to forgive easily – but Lauren Hanson wasn't one to give up either.

* * *

I know its not that great, but please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again!

Here is a nice long chapter for you to get your teeth into :)

To those of you who noticed, of course it was a Jane Austen quote! I don't usually like putting them into my stories, but it just seemed to fit!

* * *

The next morning Lauren awoke feeling just as miserable and tired as she had done the previous evening. She dragged her body heavily out of bed and placed her feet on the cold stone floor. It made her shudder, but woke her up nonetheless.

She climbed into the shower and turned the water up high, hoping to warm herself up slightly. As she scrubbed and scoured, she heard a noise. Curious, she shut off the water and, wrapping a towel around herself walked back into her living room.

Her heart seemed to stop in her chest as she realised it was Severus voice she could hear. She looked around wildly – where was he? Was he here? Was he talking to her?

She sobbed out loud as she realised he wasn't there. She looked down at her feet and saw a puddle of water wetting the stone floor as she hadn't dried off after the shower. As she stared down, she realised how she could hear him.

The dungeons were directly below her.

She dropped to her knees, not caring how the hard stone bashed her kneecaps and pressed her ear to the floor. It was still quiet and she couldn't make out the words he spoke, but he was there. And she was close to him, after all of those years apart. Her heart swelled as she listened to the methodical rise and fall of his voice.

She was still in that position when Minerva's patronus found her. She was aware of it there and quickly stood up, trying to look calm. It looked at her polite yet questioning. She shrugged.

"I…um…I was looking for an earring."

The cat nodded. Lauren knew that it didn't believe her but was grateful it didn't question her any further.

It informed her that she was quite welcome to join the rest of the staff in the great hall for breakfast in half an hour.

Lauren thought calmly about the man below her feet, who she still hear talking quietly. She thought about who he would glare at her endlessly, and how things may never be civil between them again. Those reasons alone made her loose her appetite.

"Um, no thank you. I'd rather spend the time to…reacquaint myself with the grounds."

Again, the cat didn't seem to believe her but left her to it. Just as she turned to go however, she turned and said. "You know, you could just accio it." Lauren must have looked confused for she went on. "…the earring. You could find it that way."

"Oh. Yes. Right. Thank you. I forgot…muggle habits die hard." But the cat was gone.

* * *

Lauren dried herself with a quick charm and shrugged on some thin robes with only a pair of shorts and tee shirt on underneath.

Rushing out to the grounds she sighed with relief. She had missed being away from this place that held so many memories – thankfully more good ones than bad. Walking slowly to the lake her mind drifted unstoppably to Snape. He had plagued her thoughts for the past six years, but seeing him again had increased this. He filled every moment of her consciousness…and subconscious she thought, remembering the dream.

His words of that night still rang clear in her head, like a chiming bell that would not stop. Those years first apart from him, she relied upon them – to remind her why she had left him, why she could not go back, and who he was.

Now, after she had learnt the truth about him, they tormented her – chiding her for her foolishness and mistrust of the man she cared for and maybe even loved. Could she still love him after all these years? But still his words echoed in her mind…

"_No, not worthwhile at all…Yes, a muggleborn" _he had replied to the person in the fire. _"Of course not, she disgusts me…but a man has needs." _Lauren had stood still in shock._ "She'll be gone when I run out of uses for her; I don't need a mudblood like that hanging around like a bad smell_." Lauren had gasped and he stood up to face her, closing the fire connection quickly.

She had been in total shock and felt sick. Who was he talking to? Some stupid friends of his? Was this how he really felt about her? Did she disgust him? What about all he had said last night? Was he lying?

With that last thought her head began to spin and she could barely see him coming towards her through the fog that had invaded her mind. He held up his arm to catch her, and that's when she saw it. Through the fog it shone like a light, his dark mark.

Burning and slightly red around the edges it had obviously been called last night. That was where he was, as she slept in his bed, exhausted with love for him, he was out, serving a man – no, a beast – who tried his best to destroy people like her.

She had been close to fainting; she could feel it in her mind. She had two choices – faint here and let him do what he wanted with her, or run. Run like hell until she was as far away as possible from him.

Of course, she ran.

She went on running for four years, running away from the hurt he had caused her and memories of him. But she still missed him, craved his company and love so much it hurt her. She thought she was dying.

She was in a remote part of France, teaching English to a small muggle village school when she had found out. A copy of the 'Daily Prophet' was sent out to every wizard and witch free of charge as a celebration. It brought her news of Voldemort's demise, Harry Potter's success, and then a full page spread – one thousand words, she counted them – clearing the name of Severus Snape. She had cried and cursed herself for what felt like the entire two years before she realised that she must return to Hogwarts. She must seek his forgiveness, if nothing else.

A rustling brought her back to the present world with a whoosh. She turned around to her left but the only sight was acres and acres of empty school fields. She knew someone was there though, someone was watching her. She dared to hope it was Severus, but chided herself, rationalising that it could be any number of dangerous criminals.

She pretended not to see and turned back out to the vast expanse of black water. After a moment, there was another rustle behind her and she imagined whoever it was had moved out of the bush and was moving towards her…his wand outstretched…a curse on the tip of his tongue…she wouldn't even make a sound as she died.

Snapping back into reality she spun around and fired off a stunning curse with impeccable speed. It would have been successful, if for one thing. There was no one there. It was her imagination. She cursed herself for being jumpy and paranoid. Tucking her wand away, she stomped angrily back towards the castle.

As she grumbled and stared at her shoes she was not aware of a dark clad tall figure walking towards her, with his head upturned, cursing the gods in the sky.

They collided in a flurry of limbs flinging wildly trying to regain balance and yelps – well, she did anyway - he stood firmly, seemingly unmovable. As she began to fall backwards his hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder like a vice.

As soon as she was securely on her feet again he withdrew his hand like she burned. Although, did she imagine that his fingertips hesitated for just a second?

"You ought to watch where you are going!" he snapped. She was lost for a moment in the world of his slick voice and his touch still like molten lava on her shoulder. The moment passed and she retorted.

"I was! You should not spend so much time with your head in the clouds, methinks."

"My head was not in the clouds, I assure you. Perhaps yours was in the gutter?" He growled.

"Probably – but you always liked that about me didn't you?" Lauren couldn't resist saying it. She smiled at him.

In a blur, she suddenly found herself pinned up against one of the castles cold outside walls with his face threateningly close to hers – oh, how she had missed that face!

"I don't know what you think you are playing at here, Hanson, but let me warn you – I'm in no mood to play games with a stupid girl that doesn't know that handling fire gets you burned."

Lauren could not think of a sarcastic response – the closeness of his body, his breath on her face and the manly smell of him was making her feel heady. She took ragged breaths and thought carefully about what to say to him, staring at his Adam's apple – which was directly at her eye level – before speaking in what she hoped was a controlled voice.

"I'm not playing at any game, Snape. I came back here for two reasons: One; I missed this place. Hogwarts is the only place I feel at home – the only place I feel safe." He did not speak, and instead glared at her with a renewed ferocity. "Two;" she continued, "I missed you. With you is the only place I feel at home – with you, with your arms around me, is the only place I feel safe." His hands loosened their grip on her arms, which were pinned above her body, and let them drop to her sides. He stared at her, still only inches away.

"Is that so?" he said, contempt and mistrust written clearly on his voice, and woven into the very fibres of his being.

"Yes." Lauren said, subconsciously leaning her body towards his – longing for some contact, aching for him to believe her. "I needed to see you. I needed to make sure you were…okay."

He growled and slammed her body back against the stone building. "I have been here for the last six years, fighting a crippling war with two masters and you never once needed to check my welfare before – so what's changed?" She opened her mouth to answer but he carried on speaking, it was obviously rhetorical. "I'll tell you something, Lauren; I'm pretty fucking far from okay. Now you've got your answer, so please do me a favour and leave."

He let go of her with one final look of distaste and stalked away as the first few drops of rain began to fall.

She stifled a sob and for a second threatened to slide down into the mud with her despair. But then she got a hold of herself. Sure, she could go out walking in the rain like something out of a Jane Austen novel. He might notice she was missing and come to rescue her. She could get seriously sick and he'd sit by her bedside, nursing her back to health. Then he'd declare his love for her and they'd be married in the spring.

Sighing, Lauren gathered herself and ran back inside the castle.

Life isn't a novel.

* * *

Snape banged around in his classroom, supposedly straightening desks and checking cauldrons, but Lauren was racing through his mind constantly.

She was irritating him greatly to say the least. How dare she show up after all these years claiming to care for him?

He had wanted to kiss her so badly.

As he admitted that thought, his frown deepened. He reminded himself that she was a silly girl that he would not want to be involved with at any cost.

She was stupid, disloyal and weak. She had run away from him when she saw his mark. She didn't even give him a chance to explain.

But she was a muggle born…she had more reason than anyone to be scared if she discovered her lover was a Death Eater.

As Severus thought this, his concentration slipped and he dropped a cauldron on the floor with a crash. He cursed himself and then her. He would not think of her anymore. He wouldn't. He was stronger than some woman – she could not tempt him…or so he told himself.

That night Severus dreamt…

* * *

After arriving back to her chambers Lauren had heard a series of bangs and crashes from the dungeons below. She had angered him greatly, and now she knew that there may be no chance of their relationship being rekindled.

She lay awake in her bed for hours; sleep would not come to her that night.

* * *

_He walked away from her, robes billowing out behind him as he stalked back to the castle, the first drops of rain beginning to fall. _

_Crying, she slid to the floor and sat in the mud, not caring anymore. After a spell, she stood, a glazed look upon her face, and began walking aimlessly. Away from the castle she walked, the rain pelting down on her small body, racking her with cold, and still she walked, out into the middle of the school grounds and beyond to wilderness. Lost in a fog of rain and darkness. Lost. Alone. Cold. Her shaking body crumpled and fell. _

* * *

Gasping, Severus woke up and instantly climbed out of his bed. He had seen her, so clearly in his dream. Would she really be so stupid as to run about the grounds in a rainstorm?

He ran his hands through his hair and paced about his chambers. Trying to distract himself, he picked up a book and began to read. He read and reread the same line of text several times without taking a word of it in for her face was haunting him – her cold little body no match for the vicious weather. Slamming the book shut, Severus shrugged his robes on over his black boxer shorts, buttoned them up and walked out of his chambers.

His robes billowed as per usual whilst he walked the cold halls toward her chambers, cursing himself for needing to check on her, cursing her for bewitching him so. It was probably just a stupid dream, just a stupid dream that he should ignore…but still he carried on walking towards her.

The halls were cold in the night time, and cold air rushed up his fluttering robes making his partially naked body underneath break out in goose bumps. He suppressed a shudder and soon found himself outside her door.

* * *

Lauren lay in her bed; her eyes stretched so wide open they hurt. She was straining to listen so hard that she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. She had heard footsteps. She would have been one hundred percent certain that she had – if not for the incident this morning.

Could it just be her overactive imagination?

She decided it was. She must have imagined it – who would be pacing the halls at this time? It must be lack of sleep causing her to hear things. Yes, that was it, she convinced herself. She'd just have to ignore it and hope sleep would come. Closing her eyes determinedly only to have them fly open a moment later when a fierce knock pounded on her chamber door.

Was it still her in her mind?

* * *

Snape knocked and immediately regretted it. What if she opened the door and was perfectly safe? He'd look stupid, and Severus Snape does not appreciate looking stupid.

There was no answer. He knocked – no, more like pounded the door with his fists – again.

Still, no answer.

* * *

Lauren had crept quietly out of her bedroom and now sat cross legged on the sofa in her nightdress and dressing gown, staring at the door with frightened eyes.

Either she had a better imagination than she previously thought, or there was someone trying to get into her rooms to kill her.

No, she chided herself. Why would she jump to that conclusion? It could just be Minerva checking on her…in the middle of the night. It didn't seem likely. But, maybe there was an emergency and they needed her help?

The pounding continued and Lauren begrudgingly admitted that Professor McGonagall didn't have the strength to inflict that kind of anger upon her door.

"Lauren!" Snape shouted, his knuckles were white from the clenched fists he held down by his side. "Are you in there?!"

Lauren now felt a new fear coursing through her veins, it was Snape.

He was trying to break her door down. Was he going to kill her?

"Lauren, open this door now!"

* * *

Severus came to the conclusion that she wasn't there. His dream wasn't just a dream…it was a premonition.

Cursing he turned away from her door and ran his hands through his hair, looking through one of the castles large stained glass windows onto a dark, desolate hillside pelted with rain on which she could be anywhere – because of him. It was because of him that she would be so upset and, after a bought of wandering around on the moors, ultimately die of pneumonia.

There was a slow, quiet creak behind him.

He turned slowly around to see Lauren stood in the doorway, her dressing gown gaping open to reveal her wearing just a silk spaghetti strapped silver nightdress.

"Are you okay?" He growled out between clenched teeth.

"Am I dreaming?" she whispered, not believing that he would search her out in the middle of the night to see if she was 'okay.'

"Are you okay?" He repeated again, not missing a beat.

"Am I hallucinating?" she queried again, her voice becoming clearer and more confident.

He strode towards her. "Look, I had some imprudent idea that you were unwell, so I've come to check that you're breathing at least." Lauren smiled a small smile at him. "Don't think this has anything to do with us! Hogwarts doesn't need another dead professor." He said in a quietly dangerous voice.

"I'm fine…Thank you though." Lauren said, calmly tying her dressing gown around her waist more securely. This inadvertently drew his attention to the fact that she was scarcely clad, her cleavage heaving as the breathed.

Frowning, he turned to walk away but as he did, the image of himself walking away earlier, and the dream picture of her sobbing came back to haunt him. He spun around at looked at her, arms folded leaning on the edge of the doorway.

"I'm sorry…about earlier." It took a lot for him to say that, and she knew it.

Lauren stood up straight and smiled. "Thank you."

The tension between them seemed to thin slightly and he almost – almost – smiled back but refrained at the last moment.

He nodded and continued to walk down the corridor with her watching after him. "Don't expect anything to happen here though." He called back over his shoulder.

Lauren Hanson smirked and closed her door. He might be convinced nothing would happen between them, but it just had. They might never return to lovers, but she missed his friendship more than anything.

She slept well for the rest of the night.

* * *

First a Pride & Prejudice quote, now one at the total other end of the scale, a quote from Pulp Fiction. I don't think many people will spot it, it was a complete accident but there you go! Maybe there will be another film/book classic line in the next chapter - who knows?

Please please please please please please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi. Sorry i've havent updated for a while, but quite a long chapter here for you! Thank you for your kinds reviews, and to those of you that are still reading but not reviewing - thanks as well.

*loveyou*

* * *

Lauren woke on the first day of the new term with butterflies in her stomach. It was stupid, she told herself, she had taught kids before. She had taught them well back then and would do so again.

In her first class of the day she received a big shock. As the other children filled miserably into the room, one child had stood out to her. She looked at him closely and felt her heart nearly stop. Unless she was imagining things, Lucius Malfoy had just walked into her room.

Shaking her head, she realised this could not be the actual Lucius Malfoy – it was a child. A child with blonde hair slicked back and pale skin that made him appear almost luminous. Snatching up the register from her desk, her eyes scanned the list furiously. Aha! There it was: Scorpio Parkinson-Malfoy.

Parkinson-Malfoy? She snapped the folder shut with a smirk of satisfaction, looked like she had a lovechild in her class. The boy was ten years old – he must have been conceived as soon as Draco and Pansy was seventeen.

The class began smoothly, the children being wary of her, but eventually someone felt the need to test her boundaries – and of course it was little Scorpio whilst Lauren was giving instructions on how to best slice the 'Guy' root.

"The root is very sensitive so I would be gentle at first, and then quickly go down on the 'Guy' with all your might."

"Do you go down on guys, miss?" There came a little shout from the back. Lauren did not blush easily so kept her calm façade in place – underneath she was fuming to be spoken to in that manner by a small child.

"Who said that?" she said, straightening from where she had been demonstrating on the root and staring out across the class.

A few telltale heads turned to look at Scorpio, who sat, blond head held hair, smirking at her.

"Mister Parkinson, perhaps you would care to come to the front of the class for a moment?"

The boy stood up behind his desk but made no move towards the front. "My name is Malfoy!" he shouted, spittle flying from him in an extremely unattractive manner and his face reddening.

"Oops." Lauren smiled sweetly at him. "Well, Mister Parkinson-Malfoy, I suggest that in future you keep your mind out of the gutter, or you might just find the rest of yourself ending up there too. Sit down."

Smiling again with giddy satisfaction Lauren watched the boy sit and knew that she would be just fine in this school.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That evening, Severus was sat in the Great Hall eating his dinner when Lauren plopped down heavily with a sigh in the seat beside him. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"My day was fine thanks, I'm just tired." She said humorously answering his unspoken question. "Although I did meet an interesting little boy in my first lesson – a Scorpio Parkinson-Malfoy."

Severus nodded. "Yes, he can be a…difficult child."

"You can say that again. He has a filthy mind, you know." Lauren said, thrilled her and Severus were managing a normal conversation.

"Does he? I thought that was your speciality around here." He smirked at her. "How do you know the contents of his mind?"

Lauren poured gravy over her meal and snorted. "He pretty much shared them with the rest of our class."

"With no encouragement?" Severus questioned. Lauren didn't like the slight accusation in his voice.

"No without any -" Lauren stopped and chewed thoughtfully on a piece of beef before answering. "I can't help it if my classroom is awash with innuendo."

Severus smirked again. "Yes, I believe that was your problem last year with a Mister Andrew Seamen."

Lauren burst out laughing nearly spilling her glass of wine down her front. Many heads of students looked up, staring at the snarky DADA professor and the new, apparently hysterical potions mistress.

Severus, for a brief moment, smiled at Lauren and her contagious laughter, until reality crashed back down.

He stood up abruptly causing her to cease laughing at look up at him with worried eyes.

He leaned down, placing his mouth next to her ear and whispered dangerously. "I have a reputation, one that I wish to retain. I also believe I've told you nothing will happen here. Drop it, witch." He straightened up and walked away, but as he passed by the back of her chair, Lauren's hand flew out and, just for the briefest of seconds, their fingertips touched. It was enough to send electricity racing through her for minutes afterwards.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

At ten o'clock Lauren arrived outside Severus chamber door. It was well disguised and could only be found if you were looking for it – which she was.

She knocked and the door flew open almost instantly. He had a half smile on his face…until he looked at her.

"Oh…" Lauren could have cried. He looked so disappointed. "I'm sorry. Were you expecting someone else?" He didn't speak, just stared at her. "I'll go." Lauren said hurriedly and turned to leave.

"I was expecting someone else, in a way." Lauren didn't bother to ponder this. "What can I help you with?"

"I just wanted to talk to you, but if you're busy…"

He sighed and stepped out into the hallway. "I thought I'd made myself clear – I don't want to be your friend, I barely want to be your colleague, I don't want anything to do with you! So if you're eager for idle chit chat I suggest you try Minerva, or even one of the kitchen elves, rather than me." His voice was low and tired. It sent shivers through her spine. His voice was delicious. She imagined that if it were a food, it would be the darkest, richest chocolate truffle. She lost herself in the thought of it melting on her tongue before snapping back to the real world.

"I didn't come here for idle chit chat. We need to talk about us, to get our feelings out in the open. I can't live on the edge all year, believing you're my friend again one moment and getting the cold shoulder the next!"

He stared down at her for several moments, long and hard. She stared back defiantly.

Eventually, he stepped back and allowed her to enter his chambers. "Come in, then."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lauren sat on his leather sofa; he stood in front of her with his back to the roaring fire, casting his face in shadow. He frightened her once again, though she would not show it.

"You wanted to talk…" he drawled. "So talk."

Lauren suddenly felt nervous and wondered what the hell she was playing at. "I just…I can't go on like this."

"I've made myself perfectly clear – there is nothing between us. You left me. End of story. Game over. You loose." He bit out each word.

Lauren felt a big lump rising in her throat and swallowed. "I think we've both lost out here."

He suddenly swooped away and sat behind his desk at the other side of the room, staring at her intently. It made her blush. Only he could do that to her. She loved it.

"Maybe. Maybe there was a time I cared I had lost you. But time heals wounds, and I've gotten over you. I suggest you do the same."

Lauren stood and walked over to his desk. She walked around it and stood in front of where he sat, his knees poking into the tops of her thighs in a very sexual manner.

She noticed he very subtly widened his legs – it was almost definitely subconscious and he probably didn't know he'd done it. But his brain did; which meant he still wanted her.

"I don't want to get over you, Severus." She leaned down and whispered into his ear, ignoring the fact he stiffened and looked down her top. "I want to get under you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Abracadabra!

Thought Lauren as minutes later, Severus was licking a long wet trail down from between her exposed breasts further down and down and down…

He hit the spot and she ran her hands through his hair, pushing his face closer to her thrusting, wet sex. As his firm, flexible tongue ran circles literally around her aching clit she felt herself drawing closer and close to that inevitable high that came with sex – especially sex with Severus Snape.

She came hard, her eyes tightly shut as she held Severus' face between her thighs with a shuddering sigh.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As she awoke the next morning underneath the potion masters bed sheets, the early morning sun coming through the windows filtering through her eyelids. They fluttered open and as she took in her surroundings she could not help but smile. Severus was spooning her from behind, his now flaccid large member resting on the in between her thighs.

She sighed and snuggled backwards onto him. He awoke. She could tell because he started to harden between her. She smiled wider, but it quickly fell fast as he rolled away and stood up. She rolled over too and saw his backside disappearing quickly into the bathroom where it shut with a bang.

Frowning, Lauren stood and started to scavenge around for her missing clothes. She managed to locate them all, apart from her underwear which seemed to have vanished completely. Tired from all the sex, sad from his reaction to having her in his bed and now miserable from lack of vital clothing she was near to tears already when he emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam fully dressed.

He glared at her for a moment before a slight smirk came to his eyes and he held out a pair of black underwear. She pouted and made to snatch them away from him, but he withdrew his arm. She lunged forward again and he sidestepped her. She laughed and wrapped both her arms about him, trying to pin his arms to his side. He easily slid out of her grasp, but her hand caught him at the last moment, spinning him off balance. As he tumbled down he pulled her with him, until they landed in a big pile on the floor. Lauren sat atop him on his chest and smiled down at him. He merely stared up at her, obviously deep in thought. It disturbed her and she soon broke the eerie silence.

"So…?" She asked an unspoken question.

He shrugged with a hint of mirth. "Yes, I suppose I can manage being your colleague for now."

She laughed. "So is there anything we need to do? Alert the headmaster that two of his best professors are dating?" She said with a giggle, bending to kiss the tip of his nose.

He didn't smile and looked up at her with unusually dark eyes. "I wasn't joking when I said I was just your colleague."

Lauren merely stared at him. All the air had been sucked out of her lungs, and her world was falling apart.

He laid stiffly beneath her, waiting for some sorts of reaction.

"Lauren, I told you earlier that I do not want a relationship with you again…well, not that we had much of one in the first place."

She swallowed and turned her upwards, staring at the ceiling as she blinked back tears. She let out one strangled sob before pushing her self up off him.

He stayed on the floor and half sat up as she struggled into her shoes, smothering whimpers.

"Lauren," he began.

"No! Don't you dare!" She screamed, pointing a shaking finger at him.

"I told you that you couldn't just bat your lashes and all would be forgotten!" he found himself yelling again.

She stood over him looking murderous and for once he felt scared for his life.

"I can't believe that I have now twice found myself in the bed of a dirty," her voice had started soft and was now rising, "bastard, fucking death eater!"

She raised one high heeled foot and brought it down sharply on Snape's chest, right above his heart. He coughed and rolled over, clutching himself in pain.

She bent over him. "That is a fraction of the pain I am feeling right now."

She turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. He lay on the floor, hearing her footsteps echoing along the corridor, up the stairs and finally across the floor in the room above him. He heard a few bangs and then silence. He stood, brushed himself off and went to class.

Business as usual for Severus Snape.

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please please please please please please please please review ;)

*squeeze*


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